SPCA of Texas Awarded Custody of 18 Allegedly Abandoned, Cruelly Treated Animals

(DALLAS, WILLS POINT); November 1, 2024 – Friday, before a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Texas, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the animal owner, relinquished custody of 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA of Texas.in Wills Point, Texas, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the animal owner, relinquished custody of 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA of Texas.

Friday, prior to a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Texas, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the animal owner, relinquished custody of 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA of Texas.

On Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit applied for and obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod. He was located by the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit that same evening in Tyler, Texas and was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3^rd degree felony.

On Friday, Oct. 24, 2024, the Wills Point Police Department (PD) performed a welfare check on an individual who resided in a mobile home within the city limits. Officers were unable to make contact with the individual but became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking from within the residence along with a foul odor of animal waste. Wills Point PD contacted the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit and they immediately responded to the scene. The following morning, October 25^th, the ACI Unit had not heard from the owner of the animals and they obtained a search warrant for the residence.

The SPCA of Texas ACI Unit and Wills Point Police Department made entry into the residence and discovered multiple animals living in deplorable conditions. The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces and the team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs and 4 puppies cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property. Two of the dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water. Three of the puppies were located in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces and one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing. The guinea pigs also were found in a cage without access to food or water. Most of the animals were showing clear signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention.

The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization’s Dallas location for forensic evaluation and veterinary care. The ACI Unit continued attempts to locate the owner of the animals and they were successful on Saturday, when Penrod contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. It was at that time that the Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals in his custody and had knowingly failed to provide the animals with proper care to maintain them in a good state of health, resulting in the death of one of his puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

“The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent–locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement,” said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. “This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I’ve seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don’t think the animals would have made it.

“This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is,” Burns added. “We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction.”

View and download photographs of the animals taken on the property and at the Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center (all: courtesy SPCA of Texas).

To help support the SPCA of Texas and its efforts to help abused, neglected and homeless animals and to support the SPCA of Texas’ other programs and services, visit www.spca.org/helptheanimals. To learn more about the SPCA of Texas, visit our website at www.spca.org.

About SPCA of Texas
Founded in 1938, the SPCA of Texas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization that operates two shelters, one spay/neuter clinic, one mobile adoptions vehicle and an animal rescue center, all located in Dallas and Ellis Counties, and maintains a team of animal cruelty investigators who rescue hundreds of animals from cruelty each year in North Texas counties. Moreover, the SPCA of Texas serves as an active resource center for an array of services that bring people and animals together to enrich each other’s lives.

The SPCA of Texas is not affiliated with any other entity and does not receive general operating funds from the City of Dallas, State of Texas, federal government or any other national humane organization. SPCA of Texas is dedicated to providing every animal exceptional care and a loving home. To learn more about the SPCA of Texas, visit spca.org.

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